Fighting the Darkness Within
by mlw217
Summary: Sydney and Nadia are called by their mother to save a kidnapped girl named Sam. Syd and Nadia don't know, but Sam is their little sister who has been raised by their mother: Irina Derevko. Was recently on hold but now back on! R
1. Chapter 1

Fighting the Darkness Within

The cold night air bit at her bare arms as she sat in her prison cell. The cell she was in was a cage that was guarded heavily by huge men with guns. Too many years she had dealt with things like this. She was only 14 years old and so often had things like this happened to her. Sam was her name; it was short for Samantha. She wore raggedy clothes and her shirt was bloodstained. Sam pulled her knees close to her chest and hugged herself for warmth. She had been kidnapped from her mother. She knew she would be back with her mother eventually, she always was.

Sam loved her mom, but her mother was the bad guy. Actually, she was the epitome of bad guys. Her mother was none other than the notorious Irina Derevko. Being 14 was anything but a disadvantage for Sam. People disregarded her because of her age, but they later regretted their mistake. You can't expect anything less from a girl or anyone that was trained by Irina Derevko. Sam had seen things, terrible things, which no one ever needed to see. She had met evil people and listened to her mother's unthinkable plans. Sam didn't want to be evil, she wanted the exact opposite: To be the one to stop the kind of people like her mother.

The reason Sam had been kidnapped so many times was that many people wanted revenge on Derevko. The one thing Derevko cared about more than her obsession with Rambaldi was her daughter. The daughter she had raised herself. Sam didn't know her father or anything about her mother's prior relationships. That was about the only thing she didn't have knowledge on. Along with combat training, Sam endured mental training. She learned things that would benefit her in the future. She learned about the computer, math, and different languages. She learned sciences and had many history lessons that contained field errors and successes on her mother's part and curiously, the CIA's. Sam had access to top secret files that contained a lot of useful information.

Sam got up from her corner in the cell and went to the bars of the locked door. She looked at the guard and said, "Hey! When am I gonna get some food...or at least something to drink?" Sam knew what was coming. She shouldn't have said anything, but she couldn't help it. "Shut up!" The guard screamed as he slung open the door. He picked Sam up and threw her against the back wall and he left without another word.

Meanwhile, at CIA headquarters Agent Sydney Bristow's cell phone rang. Sydney looked at the caller id and it was unknown. She wasn't sure of weather to answer it or not, but decided to go into a private place to answer this unknown caller.

"Hello?" Sydney called into the phone.

"Sydney, thank goodness you answered." A relieved and urgent voice answered back.

"Who is this?" Sydney asked nervously.

"It's your mother Sydney. Now listen very carefully, this is not something I usually do so you need to do what I say." She didn't wait for a response and went on. "There has been a kidnapping. A young girl. Her name is Sam. The only reason I know this is because my enemy is the one who has her. I cannot get to her and she is important to my enemy. This girl is somehow useful and I don't want them to have her. She is innocent and I know that you would want to help an innocent girl. Now I can't answer any of your questions, all I need is for you to do this favor for me. I won't ask you for anything else. This is urgent. If you could get a team, maybe just you and Nadia, that would suffice. Now if you go to the alleyway at 32nd street I will meet you there with information. You may bring Nadia but no one else. Meet at 6:30 sharp. Do not tell anyone except Nadia and if you feel it necessary, Vaughn. Please do this for me. I beg you."

With that, Sydney's mother hung up and left her speechless. She couldn't figure out why her mother's voice was so urgent and full of concern. That was something she didn't hear everyday. With that conversation still on her mind, she left the room and walked slowly to her desk with her thoughts still jumping around in her head. Sydney sat down in her chair and sighed heavily. Suddenly Nadia came up behind her and put a loving hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok Syd?" Nadia asked while pulling up a chair. "You seem kinda out of it." Sydney thought for a long moment about what she should say and then made up her mind. "Nadia, I need to talk to you in private." Nadia was curious and followed her big sister until they got to the parking lot. "Will you take a ride with me? I need to talk to you about something really important." 'Sydney is being vague' Nadia thought to herself.

Irina Derevko got off of the phone with her eldest daughter Sydney and sighed. She needed to get Sam back. She hadn't told Sam of how dangerous these people were that took her. Even Irina didn't like messing with them. Their group was called The Rethon47. An odd name, but not to be underestimated. The only people that she trusted to get her daughter back safely was her two other daughters Sydney and Nadia. Irina debated many times with herself on whether to tell her daughters about Sam or not. Today was no different, still no answer. Irina had taught Sam everything she knew and Sam was very good. Irina had tested her daughter with fighting her and recently, Sam had begun to win. In fact, Sam was an exceptional fighter. The one thing that Irina did not really see eye to eye with her daughter was Sam's passion for reading. There were many lessons that Irina did not teach and yet the knowledge was with Sam. Reading was a hobby for Sam and the latest fantasy book was a must have for Irina's daughter. That was the one thing that Irina got Sam for her birthdays. Still the problem arose once again. Should she tell Sydney and Nadia? There was not an easy answer. 6:30 was when she had to have the answer.

Sam groaned while she struggled to sit up. That wall was hard. Sam put her hand to her head and felt a sticky, warm, red substance. She waited impatiently for the dizziness to stop while she gauged how much damage had been done to her. Sam closed her eyes and sighed painfully. "Well that was stupid." She whispered to herself. She knew mistakes happened so that she could learn from them, but why did all of her mistakes have to be painful? It took a couple of minutes for Sam to get her bearings, but once she did, all she felt was the throbbing of her head and a growing migraine. "This is just wonderful." She said sarcastically to herself while massaging her head.

Sam sat up against the wall and cradled her aching head in her hands. She looked out the barred door and saw a peculiar light coming quite rapidly toward the cell she was in. Sam squinted her eyes and grunted as she drug herself up to a standing position. It was hard to focus when the dizziness was growing with every second, but nevertheless she had to face what was coming, head on. The light grew and grew until Sam couldn't help but shut her eyes in fear of blinding herself staring at it. The light dimmed a bit, but Sam realized that it had only been pointed toward the ground. Then she saw the face that held the tremendously bright flashlight...

Nadia glanced over at her sister with curiosity and concern glowing in her eyes. For five minutes, Sydney hadn't said a single word. The concern in her eyes was suppressed by the full curiosity of the thing that Sydney wanted to talk about. Sydney pulled into a truck stop on the side of the road and stopped unexpectedly across from a truck getting gas. The sun had not set yet and so the sky was still bright blue with a couple of cumulus clouds hanging lazily in the sky. "What is it Syd?" Sydney looked over at Nadia and sighed deeply. "I got a phone call on my cell earlier. I always check the caller id before I answer, and it said that it was an unknown caller. I don't usually answer the phone for unknown callers because it's always some sort of telemarketer. I don't know why, but I changed my mind and I went to a private place to answer it." Nadia wrinkled up her face in confusion and said, "What difference does that make?" Sydney glared playfully at Nadia and said, "If you would let me finish... I went to a private place like I said and answered the phone. You will never guess who it was..." Nadia smiled and commented, "Rosie O' Donnell?" Sydney laughed slightly and said, "No...Someone much more unexpected than that. Let me give you a hint...three letter word...starts with an M and ends with an OM." Sydney waited for Nadia's reaction. "What did she want?" Nadia asked, now fully intrigued.

Sydney told her everything that her mother had said and waited for Nadia to say something. "Wow." That was all she could say. "We should do it Nadia. That's what I think...at least go to meet mom and get more information on it. You don't have to make up your mind right now. We have about 2 hours."


	2. Chapter 2

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias or any of its characters. Sam is the only character that I own. :)_

Sam looked into the face of the person that had the flashlight and gasped. It was one of the evil men that her mother had dealt with in the past: Arvin Sloane. Sam looked at him with disgust on her face. "Hello Samantha." Sloane said mockingly. He smiled with fake joy as his eyes burned through the barred door at Sam. "You don't look happy to see me Samantha." There was delight in his eyes as he realized that he was getting to Sam. "So, Sloane. You work for Rethon47? You disappoint me Arvin." She was just letting him know that she knew who he worked for. "Oh, Samantha...you think you are so smart. You really don't know anything about this group. You didn't even know I worked for them. You don't know who you're dealing with." Sam wrinkled up her face in confusion. "Then tell me who I'm dealing with." Sam was looking at Sloane attentively with her brows together, listening for his response.

Sloane laughed menacingly and grabbed onto the bars of the door and leaned in closer. "Your mother is not coming for you sweetie. She can't come and get you. Do you want to know why?...She works for me. I am her boss and you are my leverage. She will do whatever I say now. None of your mother's famous double-crossing stunts anymore." Sam understood now. She was never going to get out of there alive; her mom couldn't do anything to help her now. As the hopelessness of her situation set in, Sloane began laughing manically as he walked away, leaving Sam alone.

In the meantime, Sydney and Nadia make their way to the alleyway at 32nd street to get briefed on what their mother wanted them to do. Sydney was more than curious about this job that Derevko wanted them to do. Even if Nadia refused, Sydney felt strangely responsible for getting this girl out of trouble and would follow through. Nadia was not sure what to think. Her mother now wanted her and her sister's help. Irina had never asked them for help on a job...she never rejected a job...especially when the job involved thwarting her own enemy. This was, without a doubt, curious on many levels. They were half an hour early to their meeting so they stopped to get something to drink. When they sat down, their waiter came up to take the orders.

Sydney and Nadia got a Dr. Pepper and sat across from each other, both equally silent. Then Nadia voiced a concern. "What if it's a trap? I mean, it is a possibility...not that I want it to be, I just wanted to put that out into the open. Just so we could consider it." Sydney thought that possibility through thoroughly and told Nadia what she thought. "It wouldn't be the first time she has lured one of us somewhere to benefit her own agenda. But she just sounded so...so concerned. I know we could be getting played, but I have to find out. If it is real, then I want to help that poor girl. I don't have even the slightest idea of why she can't do it herself, but if she really can't then I think we should help her." Sydney knew that what she was saying was crazy and naive, she just wanted to believe that her mom had a heart made of something other than stone. To believe that her mother, that worked for the KGB, had feelings other than the urge for revenge. That her mother, Irina Derevko, loved.

As they made their way to the alleyway, butterflies raced in Sydney's stomach as she played over and over in her mind, the worst possibilities that could happen. When Nadia and Sydney rounded the corner and entered the alley, they saw what their hearts longed for. Irina Derevko was standing against the brick wall with her arms folded across her chest, looking down at the damp concrete. She was wearing a simple sweater and jeans and her hair was freely blowing in the slight breeze. She glanced up and saw her two daughters. Irina sighed proudly as her two daughters walked over to help her. She wasn't sure of what to expect, but hid her troubled thoughts behind an unreadable mask. "Mom." Sydney acknowledged. Nadia nodded as if agreeing with Sydney. "Hey. Um, thanks for coming. I have to admit, I was getting a little antsy. I figured that you turned down my plea. But now that I see you here, I will give you some information." She cleared her throat before going on.

"My enemies' name is Rethon47. It's a group that is very well connected and has many powerful contacts. Their contacts allow them to have influence on very important decisions in the government as well as in the black market. They have such connections by hiring infamous assassins and others that have these special links to people who have the sort of influence they need to succeed. You have probably come into contact with a few if not most of their employees. They have been working hard on this and have been for years. It's kind of a consortium, the way they have pulled all of these different people working for the same cause. You both should be very familiar with the boss and mastermind behind this consortium. None other than... Arvin Sloane."


	3. Chapter 3

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias or any of its characters. I only own the character Sam. :)_

All of Sam's hopes drained slowly and painfully from her eyes in the form of tears. She had not cried in a long time. Her mother had said that it was a sign of weakness. But Sam thought that if no one saw her cry, then no one could say that she was weak. Sam wiped her eyes and got herself together. She would get out of this place, she didn't know how, but Sam was determined to find a way out. If she couldn't find a way out, she could just hope for some kind of miracle.

Sydney and Nadia gasped as they heard that Sloane was behind such a huge organization. Nadia was in shock; her father was the one that was responsible for this evil. Hearing all of this information about such an association made both Sydney and Nadia forget about their caution of being tricked. The only thing on Sydney's mind was what was happening to the innocent girl who was in the presence of Sloane. Nadia couldn't believe that her own father could do something like this, take an innocent girl. Irina adjusted her stance and observed her daughter's expressions. "So, are you willing to help me?" Irina looked at her daughters with a helpless look on her face. She really did need their help and she knew that they would be apprehensive. She hadn't really been the most truthful person in the world. Irina knew that she didn't have any right to ask for help from them...but she really needed them. It was impossible for her to get her youngest daughter out of danger. She waited patiently for them to make up their minds.

Then Sydney spoke up. "I'm in. I'll get Sam out of there, but I'm only doing it for the girl, not for you." Nadia looked at Sydney and then at her mother. "Yeah...I'm in too." Irina smiled, relieved. "Thank you girls. Now here is a folder with all the extra information that is involved. For example, where their main compound is." My number is in there as well as a cell phone you can call me from and I will contact you through." Irina handed Sydney the folder and stepped back towards the brick wall again. "I guess I will talk to y'all later. Once again, thank you." Irina walked off and around the alleyway corner.

Sydney turned to Nadia with the folder in her hand and smiled half-heartedly. "Well let's get started then." Sydney said as she opened the folder of information. They both went to a coffee house to discuss their plan on how to get this girl out of trouble.

Sydney and Nadia had decided to leave the next day to be on their way and work out all the details of the mission. Nadia had made excuses for them so that no one would be suspicious about their absence from work. Sydney decided not to tell Vaughn all of the details of their little excursion, but told him only what would keep him quiet about the mission. Vaughn had their number in case of an emergency, but just an extreme emergency. Sydney had decided to ride on a plane not all the way to their destination and then get to the enemies main compound by vehicle or foot. As they approached the first stopping point, the two sisters got their bags ready for landing and sat at the edge of their seats with impatience written in their eyes. When they got out of the plane, Sydney called one of her contacts that lived in the area and they went to her usual meeting point to get some weapons and ammunition. If they were going to infiltrate such a powerful compound with just two people, they needed to be packing as much weaponry as they could possible carry without drawing too much attention to themselves. Like they needed that.

Sam couldn't fall asleep at all. It was still dark out and her head was throbbing even more than an hour ago. She had managed to slow the bleeding from her head, but head wounds were the hardest to stop. Sam closed her eyes as she put pressure on her wound, and with her free hand she let her head rest heavily on her arm. She sighed and wondered when she would get something to eat. As she looked up she heard someone talking. It was Sloane and a woman. Sloane had his regular suit on and he looked stressed as he ran his hand through his almost non existent hair. The woman whom he was talking to had long black hair that flowed in the chilly breeze and she was obviously telling Sloane something that he didn't want to hear. Sam could only see Sloane's face and the woman's face was hidden in the shadows. Slowly, Sam moved close to her door to get a better look and to hear exactly what was being said. "Anna, you are the one that I am assigning this to. You will do as you are told. This new information troubles me: we cannot let them take her. We still need her. First, before you follow up on the mission that I gave to you, I will allow you to interrogate the girl. Her name is Samantha. Just remember who you are dealing with." Sloane walked away, leaving the woman alone. Sam heard the woman sigh as she turned into the moonlight...It was Anna Espinosa.


	4. Chapter 4

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias or any of the characters. The only character I own is Sam. :)_

_Note: Thank you so much for my first two reviews, this is my first fanfic and I just needed some feedback. Thank you to: __Eyghon__ and __Sareia_

Sam pulled herself to the back of her cell and took a deep breath. Anna had failed to mention to Sloane, her relationship with Sam. Irina had hired Anna to help teach Sam and train her to her highest limits. Anna happened to be very good at teaching how to deal with torture...and Sam was sure that she could dish it out too. Sam closed her eyes tightly. Anna had been the only person who she had ever been truly afraid of. If someone was to ask what her fear was, she would definitely say Anna. She could feel Anna staring in her cell, but her face was still hidden well in the shadows. Sam was making sure that Anna couldn't see her own face by pulling her knees up to her chest and laying her head down with her hands on her head. "Sam?" Anna called, there was no menace in her voice as far as Sam could tell. Anna told the guard to open the door and as he accommodated, Anna pushed him aside and went through the door. "Sam...come out now." Anna had a stern tone in her voice.

Sam heard her but she pulled her head farther down toward her knees and pretended to have not heard her. As the pounding and throbbing continued to build in her head, she couldn't help but moan in pain and misery. Anna proceeded forward with curiosity now in the air. When she approached Sam she kind of felt sorry for her. She had taught this girl when she was little and had grown to favor her. She was within two feet of Sam when she saw the girl look up at her. She gasped as soon as she saw Sam's head injury. Quickly, Anna covered her mouth and pulled herself together. She had seen things much worse than this, why this bothered her was a mystery. Sam peered through the dark at Anna with fear in her eyes. "Sam," Anna said indifferently, "are you ok?" She didn't have any sort of emotion in her voice, but as she was waiting for an answer she clenched her jaw tight. "Why? It's not like you care...you're working for them." She said bitterly. Sam was holding her voice as steady as she could but her efforts weren't completely successful. "Sam..." Sam turned away from Anna and held tears back. She couldn't stand any more betrayal. This betrayal felt like a hot knife stabbing her in the heart. She had actually trusted Anna...mistake after mistake.

Suddenly an excruciating pain shot through Sam's head and she closed her eyes tightly and screamed as if the loudness of her screaming would make the terrible pain stop.

_I am so sorry for how short this chapter is...if you would, please review to keep me going...I will give you a longer chapter next. Anyone who has any suggestions, I welcome any constructive criticism...Thanx for support..._

_-soccergirlmich_


	5. Chapter 5

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...well Duh. I only own Sam. :)_

Anna rushed forward quickly toward Sam as she was screaming. Sam had now fallen over and was clutching her head in tremendous pain. Anna bent down on her knees and made herself show no emotion. "Sam?" She asked. Sam tried to hold in the tears, but the pain was so excruciating that she couldn't do anything. The sharp pain in her head was strange; she had been hurt a lot of times before but this was different. She could hear people outside her cell calling orders and rushing around her. The last thing she felt was someone lifting her off of the ground.

Sydney and Nadia had set up camp and made a watch schedule and so they were set for the night. When darkness fell, Nadia slept and Syd waited for her shift to end so that she could get some sleep. As Sydney fought desperately with her need for sleep she heard a loud crack in the woods. Sydney leapt up from her seat and listened out carefully for any other sound that would alert her of an intruder. Slowly she sat back down and as she sat, she saw a dark figure run across the woods. Sydney bent down and gently woke Nadia up from her sleep. She jolted up, but was fairly silent about it. "Nadia," Syd whispered, "I heard someone...get your gun." She followed her sister's directions, trying to wake up while doing so. They waited until they were sure no one was there. Sydney tried to get at least two hours of sleep but didn't succeed. She got up after a long two hours of tossing and turning until finally she got up and started gathering her things.

They were ready. Nadia and Syd walked through the woods, going around the facility but keeping it in sight while doing so. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at their destination. They got inside the building that they presumed that the girl was in. "Man, Syd." Nadia said as they observed their surroundings. The environment was especially dank and stuffy. She couldn't imagine how they could keep a kid here. That was just child abuse. Sydney kept her mind set on the mission, because if she didn't she would get angry. Irina had told them to do this one thing for her and didn't give them much information. Syd didn't know what to expect. They came up to a clearing and felt the cold breeze biting at their noses. Sydney held her hand out to stop Nadia and stood still staring at something. When Nadia looked over to what she was staring at, she drew a deep breath. It was a cell. It looked like a poor kempt jail cell. Rough cement covered every inch of the cell and the only difference in the cell was the bars that kept the person or thing inside. Up ahead a light flashed on and they heard voices coming from ahead. Syd and Nadia hid from sight, listening to the people coming. "Sloane, we still haven't found out the source. She is heavily sedated as of five minutes ago. We are closely monitoring her vitals Sir." Sydney knew that voice. She knew it very well. Ana Espinosa. Nadia glanced at Sydney and Syd nodded her head, telling her that she knew who it was. The other person responded. "We don't know what caused this?" Sloane, Syd thought with disgust. Sydney's eyes crinkled in repulsion and Nadia's in recognition. "No Sir. We will find out though. We have the best here working on it...We'll know soon enough."

The voices faded and Sydney and Nadia went stealthily looking for Sam. They got to a lighted room that had a frail looking girl on a bed in the middle of a couple of doctors. There were machines all around her and an IV hooked up to a liquid bag. The girl on the bed had bruises on her face and dried blood on her forehead. Under her closed eyes there were dark circles and purple and black bruises. Rage boiled in her blood and tears of anger sprang quickly to her eyes. She glanced at Nadia and saw moisture on the surface of her eyes. She reached over to Nadia's shoulder and squeezed in support. The toughest thing for Syd to watch was when someone was hurting a child or when a child was hurt. The doctors left and Syd went in as Nadia followed. Nadia picked up the chart that was on the end of the bed. She read and her eyes widened. "Syd, look. I know what is wrong with her..."

soccergirlmich Thanx for the reviews! Keep them coming...srry for the long wait...school is kicking my butt. lol Please R&R...


	6. Chapter 6

Fighting the Darkness Within

Disclaimer: Once again...I do not own Alias...hmmm I do own Sam though!! Lol

Thanx to the people who read my story...Please keep reviewing so I can keep updating!

Sydney looked at the chart that her little sister had in her hands. It said that they had found some sort of tracking device in her head. When the guard had thrown her against the wall, the device broke and it had been moving...therefore causing excruciating pain. They had fixed the problem about fifteen minutes ago. Sydney closed her eyes and took the bridge of her nose in between her thumb and pointer finger. She brushed away a tear and set her jaw. She had to get this poor girl out of here. Nadia followed her big sister and began taking everything off of the small girl. Sam looked very weak, but Sydney and Nadia could tell that the girl had strength and power. Sydney took the unconscious girl in her arms and carried her carefully out of the room. Nadia walked in front of her with her gun out and ready for anyone who would try to take Sam away from them. Nadia's eyes were like a hawk's and her ears could hear even the slightest noise. They finally got out of the building and they tore out running. Sydney was much slower, because of the extra weight, but she was fast nevertheless. The 14 year old girl should have been much heavier, but she had obviously not been fed very well. They had no idea how long Sam had been there, but it seemed long enough.

Sydney was surprised that they got out of there without even being spotted. It was not a very well guarded place. The operation was not very well planned, and Syd had expected the worst. She guessed that Sloane didn't expect anyone to come to get the girl. Then, Syd wondered what was so special about this girl. She didn't look so special. Sydney glanced down at the girl and observed more closely. She had dark brown hair that was flying in the wind. Her cheekbones rose and her jaw was squared. She looked like she had lost a lot of weight in a very small amount of time. Her shirt was dark from wear and had blood stains on it. She had on holey sweat pants and no socks or shoes. The clothes were extremely baggy on her and it surprised Sydney that they even stayed on. Once they were well into the woods, they slowed down to a slow-fast walk. As they had slowed down, Sydney saw more and more bruises. She saw them on her face, arms, legs. It was terrible to see. "Nadia," Sydney said. "let's make camp in about fifteen to twenty minutes." Nadia nodded and glanced nervously toward Sam. "She's been through a lot." She stated the obvious, but she really couldn't say anything else. About ten minutes later, they set up camp and made a small fire. They were far enough so that no one would see the smoke or anything. They laid Sam on a sleeping bag and covered her up with as many blankets as they could. Nadia tended to her injuries and wiped off the dried blood.

A few hours later, Sydney was asleep and Nadia was on watch duty. Sydney hadn't gotten any sleep the night before and so after arguing for a few minutes, Syd gave up because she realized how tired she really was. She didn't want to sleep because she wanted to look after Sam. She felt strangely protective of her. So did Nadia. It was weird. They had just met her and they felt like they were responsible for her. Sydney slept well and in the morning, she woke up and Sam had still not gotten up at all. Nadia was not tired and decided to let Sydney sleep through the night. It was time that they kept moving, and since Sam was not up yet, Sydney carried her. Later that day, the sun started to set and Nadia had told Syd that they needed to stop to set up camp. They did the same thing for Sam except for Sydney and Nadia were going to switch off sleeping turns this time. They were eating tuna out of a can and they heard Sam stir from her sleep. Nadia and Sydney rushed to her side.

Sam's eyes fluttered open and they were shining with moisture. Her eyes grew wide with fear as she realized that she had no idea where she was. "Shhhh..." Sydney said as she brushed her hair out of her face. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help you. Can you tell us who you are and where you belong." Sam's eyes were bright green as she tried to sit up. Nadia helped her and they waited for her answer. "Who are you?" She asked with a hoarse and strained whisper. Sydney would have said the same thing if she were Sam. She wouldn't answer any questions unless she knew some answers for her own. Sydney answered her. "My name is Sydney and this is Nadia, my sister. We work for the CIA." Nadia and Sydney watched for her reaction. Her facial expression held no answers. She covered up whatever emotions that were going through her mind and she did it well. It was almost like she had been trained to do it. "My name is Sam." Sam wasn't offering much more than that. Nadia kept her eye on her and also looked around for any intruders. There were none. "Sam, we are not here to hurt you." Nadia said, trying to make sure that Sam knew that we were not enemies. "I know." She said. Sydney looked curiously at her, but held her questions in.

"How do you feel Sam?" Sam looked at Sydney with her beautiful green eyes and looked down. "I am fine. I have had worse...Who sent you after me?" Nadia drew her brows together and looked at Sydney for her response. "Umm...Our mother sent us after you." Sydney waited for a facial expression change or any kind of response. Nothing. She was peculiar. "Oh, ok..." Sam was not wanting to give out any kind of information, and Syd did not want to push it. So she shoved all of her questions to the back of her throat and picked up Sam's hand. "You gave us quite a scare. You've been out for a while." Sam winced a little, but hid her pain. Syd let go of her hand and said, "Sorry." Sam shook her head, but didn't say anything.

They sat there for a while in silence...when finally Sam broke the silence. "Why would your mother send you after me? How would she know that I was here? Who is your mother?" That was the most they had heard her talk and so they sat there not responding for a while because they were in shock. Finally Syd got her bearings and answered, "Ummmm...Our mother said that she knew that you were here and that you had been kidnapped. She said that she couldn't come and get you." Sam crinkled her forehead and winced again. Nadia then spoke up. "Do you have a mother? Who do you live with usually?" Sam raised her eyebrows and looked up at Nadia. Silence followed. Sydney made a mental note that she would have to think about later. Sam looked oddly familiar. "I live with my mother. I haven't seen my father and I don't know who he is." Her green eyes sparkled in the fire light. Syd saw flames reflect in her green eyes as her eyes grew bright and then faded, over and over again. "What is your mother's name?" Sam hesitated and her eyes darkened as she prepared to tell who her mother was. The flames rose higher in the reflection as she cleared her throat to speak.

"My mother's name is...Irina Derevko."

_Please R&R...I welcome any constructive critisisms...I will try to update soon...but I need more reviews to keep me going...tell me what you think...--soccergirlmich_


	7. Chapter 7

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...just Sam! _

Sydney and Nadia's mouths dropped open in shock of what they had just heard. Irina Derevko was her mother. That would mean... Sam looked curiously at the two women's expressions and crinkled her forehead in confusion. "What?" Sydney's thoughts were bouncing around her head and Nadia couldn't think straight. Sydney looked at Sam in a new way. She was her little sister. Why hadn't Irina told them? "Are you okay?" Sam asked. Nadia's eyes were blank and she thought of why their mother hadn't told us this important information. "Ummmm...I don't know." Sydney said trying to get her bearings. "We have something to tell you Sam." She glanced at Nadia and nodded. "Sam, we said that our mother sent us after you. We didn't tell you who our mother is." Sam didn't understand. She thought that they were crazy. "Our mother's name is ...Irina Derevko." They waited for a response. Sam's thoughts were scattered and she said. "You're joking right?" Nadia shook her head and gazed at her new little sister.

"How would I not know that I have two sisters?" Sam asked. Sydney didn't know what to think. Then, a thought sprang to her mind. She could call Irina and ask her all of their questions. As well as let Sam speak with her mother. "I still have that cell phone that mom gave us. I could call her and get all the information that we need." Sam's face brightened. "Yeah...call her."

Ring, Ring, Ring...

"Hello, this is Derevko speaking"

"Mom, is there something that you neglected to tell us?" Sydney had a harshness in her voice that was new, since she had begun keeping in touch with her mother.

"Ummmm...I don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes went wide as she realized that they had figured out.

"Don't tell me that you don't know what I am talking about. You know exactly what I'm talking about...I deserve a real answer and I need the truth." She lowered her voice so that she wouldn't get angrier.

"Okay...Do you have Sam?" There was concern and an anxious sound in her voice.

"Yes we do...she'll be fine, but she was treated real bad." Anger rose in her chest as her impatience grew.

"Yes, I admit, I owe you and Nadia an explanation. But I need to talk to Sam. Please.." Sydney couldn't deny her mother the right to talk to her child. Sydney handed the phone to Sam. Sam's eyes brightened and she took the phone excitedly. "Mom?" Sam longed to hear her mother's voice. Even though her mother was one of the worst people in the world, she loved her.

"Sam, thank goodness you're ok. I was so worried and I couldn't come and get you. I am so sorry. I will explain it all later."

"No need mom. I already know. You work for them...I was leverage. What did Sloane want you to do?" Sydney and Nadia were listening closely. Their CIA training was taking over once again.

"Oh...uhhh Sam, who told you that?" Sam rolled her eyes.

"The tooth fairy, mom, who do you think told me? Sloane told me everything." Sam had an impatient tone in her voice. "Sam, don't get smart with me. Fine, um, I think that I owe y'all an explanation." Sam blew out a breath and rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, mom. You don't think that you would tell your daughter that she has two sisters? Thanks for telling me that I have family." Sam was getting mad at Irina. Sydney couldn't blame her. Nadia understood what Sam was going through. Both Syd and Nadia had been through finding out that they had a sister. Now it was happening again. "Sam, calm down. I'm sorry, but I don't have to tell you everything."

"Yeah, I know mom. You have never told me the things that are important...like 'hey you have two sisters...or how about the fact that I have no idea who my father is and what he looks like."

"Sam, I will tell you who you're father is...Now that you know that you have sisters, I don't see why I should keep this from you...Your father is someone that you know...you have met him. His name is Julias Sark.


	8. Chapter 8

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...but I do own Sam..:)_

Sam's face wrinkled in disgust. "Ewwww...mom? What...why...How could you do that?" Sydney and Nadia were in pure shock. They could both hear the conversation coming out of the cell phone. Their mother shook her head and said, "Hey, listen to me. I had to...I needed something from him...lets just say I got what I needed." Irina chuckled darkly. Sam's eyes filled with tears. "Are you saying that you didn't want me? I was just some unwanted outcome of some mission to do something evil or to complete one of your evil schemes? I was born by you messing around?" Sydney took Sam's hand again and looked sympathetically into her eyes. "Sam, no. I wanted you...I...I just..." She was cut off by Sam hanging up on her mother. Nadia gave a small grin because she knew that her mother deserved that and much more. But she couldn't believe what her mother had done. Well, she could kind of. Her mother had shot Sydney. She had done terrible things to them. But Sam was 14. She shouldn't have to deal with her mother's bad choices. Nadia reached up and rubbed her little sister's back. Sam put her head in her hands and cried. She cried dry, broken sobs. Sydney gathered her in a hug. They stayed like this for a while.

Irina squeezed her eyes tight. She knew she had made a mistake. She had done all of this and kept it from her daughter for a specific reason: So she wouldn't react like this. When Sam had lived with her, she had been introduced to Sark. Sam absolutely hated that man. It was weird. Irina had never seen her daughter hate like that before. He was the only person who got on her nerves like that. Irina thought back to when she first introduced her to Sark. Man, the way she reacted. At first, she reacted as when she usually introduced Sam to one of her colleagues. But after Sam saw how he acted and the way he thought up evil plans...she absolutely, without a doubt detested him. She made it known to him too. Sark knew that she was his daughter, but he ignored the fact that his one and only daughter despised everything about him. The fact that he didn't seem to care that his daughter loathed him was the best illustration of his malevolence. She sighed, upset with herself. She didn't even want to think about what Sydney and Nadia thought of her now...

Nadia got up and went to get Sam something to eat. All they had brought was some cans of tuna and some bottles of water. "Sorry...this is all we have." She said, as she handed the food and drink to her. Sam shook her head and thanked her older sister. "So...y'all are my sisters?" Sydney smiled widely and laughed. "I guess so. So, would you tell us where you have been living?" Sam nodded her head and took a long swallow of water before clearing her throat. "Yeah...I have been living wherever my ...I mean our mother took me...She taught me everything I knew along with a few of her colleagues. One of the people that she had teach me was Ana Espinosa. Do you know who she is?" Sydney's eyes darkened and she nodded. "Yes...we know who she is." Sam cocked her head to one side and asked, "So if my father is Sark...who are your father's?...are they the same?" Nadia shook her head. "No, my father's name is Arvin Sloan." Sam gasped and she said, "Are you serious? How about you Sydney?" Sydney took a swig of her water and replied, "Yeah...my dad's name is Jack Bristow." Sydney waited for a response but all she got was a thinking expression. "Ummmm... I remember that name...where have I heard that name before?" Sydney helped her out. "Our mom was married to him as part of a mission. The KGB thought it would be better for her cover if they had a baby. That is how I came to be." Sam nodded in understanding. "How about you Nadia?" Nadia thought about what she was going to say. "Actually, Syd and I kind of recently found out that we were sisters. I worked for Argentine Intelligence and Sydney found me. I was pretending to be in a catatonic state. She helped me get out of there. And then, I couldn't help but work for the CIA." Sam nodded again and a silence filled the air.

"So...How did mom treat you?" Sydney asked curiously. "Good. She treated me like a daughter, I guess. I really don't know what a mother is supposed to act like." Nadia looked sympathetically at her little sister. They went on with their conversation to talk about times in their lives with their parents. They went further to talk about Sydney's and Nadia's encounters with Irina. The whole night was filled with conversations about life and all they had missed not being in each other's lives.

_Sorry...another short chapter...I was just trying to get another chapter in before I go back to school...updating will be hard...please update...It helps when I get reviews so I can update!!! --soccergirlmich--_


	9. Chapter 9

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...I do own Sam though:)_

The next morning arrived and so did the long journey ahead of them. Sam was still incredibly weak and so they couldn't move a long ways at one time. Sydney and Nadia were very happy to have found out that they had a sister. Nadia always wanted a little sister. Sydney had two little sisters now and she felt even more responsible for Sam than before. As they rested, Sydney had to call Vaughn. She didn't want him to be worried.

Ring, Ring, Ring. "Hello? This is Vaughn."

"Vaughn...thank goodness you answered. I needed to hear your voice." Sydney sighed.

"Sydney...I was so worried. Are you okay?" Vaughn's voice was relieved.

"I'm fine. We found what we needed to. I can't tell you anything just yet. I will tell you something soon...I promise." Sydney looked down and sighed, slightly uncomfortable with keeping things from Vaughn.

"Okay. Everything is fine here. We miss you and Nadia. We haven't gone on many missions lately. It has been boring while you and Nadia have been gone. Weiss is pretty depressed. He would want to talk to her." Vaughn waited for Sydney's response.

"Nadia...Weiss misses you. He wants to talk to you." Nadia looked over from her conversation with Sam and frowned.

"I can't tell him anything though. I don't feel like I can lie to him." Sydney shook her head and gave her the phone.

"It's fine Nadia. Just tell him that you'll tell him everything when we get back." Nadia took the phone and told Vaughn to put Weiss on.

"Eric?" Weiss her his girlfriend's voice and his heart fluttered. He hadn't seen her in a long time. He pictured her in his head and smiled. "Hey Nadia." Nadia smiled when she heard her boyfriend's voice and suddenly thought of telling him everything.

"Eric...I can't talk right now...I'm sorry. I will tell you everything when I get back. I promise." She looked at the phone and hung up on him. Sydney looked over at Nadia and frowned sympathetically at her sister.

Suddenly they heard a twig snap behind their camp. Sydney and Nadia gathered up weapons and tossed one to Sam. Sam got in a ready position and lifted the gun.

Then, someone came from behind Sam and held a knife to her throat.

_I am sorry for the long wait. I was stuck. Please read and review and tell me what you think. Thanx. --soccergirlmich--_


	10. Chapter 10

Fighting the Darkness Within

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...Sam is mine...:D_

Sydney and Nadia couldn't believe what their eyes were seeing. Their new sister was being held with a knife against her throat. Sam's throat was bulging with muscles and anger was blatant in her fiery eyes. The assailant had a black ski mask over it's face and it spoke with a deep growl. "Don't move and she won't get hurt."

Sydney's brows drew together as she thought of a plan. She didn't know what to do or how to get Sam out of this without her getting hurt. Nadia's eyes shined with moisture as she watched her new sister being held hostage. "What do you want?" Sydney finally asked, trying to stall so she could think of a plan. The hostile held tight to the knife and flexed his huge muscles that showed through his shirt. "If you do what I say, no one will get hurt." The man didn't answer Sydney's question. His voice was low and had a heavy accent. Sam's eyes were fighting with the decisions running through her head. Suddenly, there was a spark in her eyes as she thought of an idea. Frantically, she began to blink in Morse Code so that she could tell Sydney and Nadia her plan. Hoping that her new sisters would catch on, she blinked more furiously. Sydney and Nadia, luckily, did catch on and were trying not to make what they were doing too obvious.

Sam finished her message and Syd confirmed, unnoticeably, while Sam nodded slightly. All of a sudden, Sam jerked out from under the knife and through the process, the serrated knife gouged a deep cut across her right shoulder. The youngest sister didn't even wince. With blood pouring out of her wound, Sam kicked the knife from the massive assailant's hand and picked it up, holding it out at the ready. The hostile was slowly backing up with his hands in the air, surrendering to this young girl. His eyes wide with shock, he didn't even see the kick to his stomach and the crushing blow to his face as it knocked the attacker out cold. Sam was breathing hard and her eyes blazed with a fire that was smoldering slowly. Sydney put a warm hand on her littlest sister's shoulder and she waited for Sam to relax.

"Who was that?" Nadia asked to no one in particular.

"I'm not sure...I think I have seen him somewhere before." Sam said, still trying to recall where she had seen this man.

Bang, Bang, Bang...the man was tied up to a nearby tree and was making all kinds of noise to try to escape the grasps of Sam's restraints. Nadia looked at her little sister's shoulder and gasped.

"You need to stop the bleeding. Let me help." Nadia's eyes were concerned and fully trusting. Sam didn't know what she had done to earn her respect, trust, or concern. She guessed this was what a real family would be like. She would just have to get used to people being nice to her simply because she was in the area. Her mother always taught her the rule of guilty until proven innocent. But it seemed as if it were the exact opposite here. Innocent until proven guilty...it was kind of naive and adolescent. She sort of liked the new surroundings. Love instead of hostility. Once Nadia had gotten the bleeding stopped and the wound cleaned, she put a bandage on neatly and smiled a friendly smile. It looked as if she longed for a larger family.

Sam wanted to go over to the tree to interrogate him. She stood up and walked with a purpose to the tree. Syd and Nadia stood up and followed her, matching her quick pace.

"Tell me...Sir." Sam said mockingly. "What exactly did you want from us?" The man did not answer as Sam fully expected. "Ok...maybe that was a tough question. How about ...who do you work for?" The man looked down and to the right. He was recalling a memory. She was getting somewhere.

"What's in it for me?" The evil man's deep accented voice resonated from his chest. Sam smiled mischievously. Syd and Nadia didn't dare to speak during all of this. "You won't suffer a terrible death." Sam laughed as if it were all a joke. The man was not laughing. He looked like he was weighing his choices. "Alright. I work for someone you know...Julius Sark..." He laughed a menacing and amused laugh as he observed Sam and her sister's expressions.

_Sorry...I have been so busy...As soon as summer gets here hopefully I will have more time to update. Keep reviewing!! –soccergirlmich--_


	11. Chapter 11

Fighting the Darkness Within

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...or any of its characters...only Sam. :)_

Sark, Sam thought with disgust. How could she not have guessed that her "father" was in on this. The only thing that surprised her was that he wanted her dead. She didn't think that a father could do that to his only daughter. She guessed that Sark was just that kind of a guy. Evil to the core. Her eyes closed and she thought of how to respond to this new information. She had heard her sister's gasps of horror and could feel their gazes upon her to gauge her reaction. She wanted to come across as strong and not a little girl. Sam had fought that stereotype all of her life...well she couldn't really blame anyone. What kind of a 14 year old girl could fight a grown man? She didn't know any other teenagers like herself. She opened her eyes and there was a vigor inside her soul that shined through her features. Sam smiled half-heartedly. She knew that the man wouldn't expect that reaction and she would catch him off-guard. She saw out of the corner of her eye, Sydney was looking curiously at Nadia and then back at Sam. Nadia's facial expression was full of confusion, and then Sam looked at her oldest sister. She was slightly surprised at what she saw there. In her eyes, Sam saw a smile and it looked as if she was proud of her little sister.

A small smile played on the corners of Sam's mouth; she picked up her confidence and ran with it. She set her jaw and wiped off the sweat that was beading down her face. She licked her lips and cleared her throat.

"Alright...Thank you very much Sir." Sam got up and began tightening his confinements. Sydney and Nadia just waited for Sam to finish whatever she was doing. Once she finished she looked at the man one last time and said, "You can tell Sark that Round One goes to ...his daughter." She smiled fully now and the three sisters laughed together as they walked off to leave camp. They gathered their things and as they made their way, they heard the man's screaming.

Meanwhile, the commotion building up around Sloane's head was starting to arouse him. He felt the urge to wake up from his peaceful sleep. Then it all came rushing back...the surprise and the feeling of the tranquilizer dart in his neck. Anger rose in his chest and blood rushed to his face. He got up furiously and removed the dart without even wincing. Ana lay beside him and he quickly shook her. As Ana's eyes fluttered open he looked at her urgently.

"She's gone isn't she?" Ana's voice cracked. Sloane nodded and drug her to her feet. Ana trudged after Sloane as he half-ran to the cell where they had kept the girl. Sloane grabbed the bars of the cell and slung the door open.

"What are you looking for? She wasn't even here when she was taken. She was in the room with the doctors." Ana said, kind of annoyed. Sloane raised his brows and once again he left in pursuit of something. When they got to the room, they saw the empty bed and wires that were hooked up to machines were strewn everywhere. His eyes blazed and he sat down.

"We will get her back. If it is the last thing that I do...or you do." He added the last part and Ana cocked her head to the side.

"What do you mean...me? I'm not so sure about this anymore. She was taken by someone pretty powerful. And it wasn't Derevko. So some other threat is out there waiting for us to try to take her back."

"We have to get our leverage back!!" He yelled this and got up out of his seat. The muscles in his neck were flexed and veins in his face were bulging. Ana backed up and her brows drew together.

"Chill out..." Ana didn't know what was about to happen.

All of a sudden, Sloane blew up. He grabbed her throat and threw her head against the wall behind her. A huge bang, and Ana winced. She squinted and gritted her teeth. "You need to think about what you are doing. I will hurt you if you do not let me go." Her voice was strained and slowly Sloane took a deep breath and he let go. As he backed away, Ana shook her head. "Never do that again." There was a dark hint in her voice and she walked away.

_Hope you liked it! _ _If you have any suggestions I will be glad to consider it!! Keep reviewing... –soccergirlmich--_


	12. Chapter 12

Fighting the Darkness Within

Fighting the Darkness Within

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...(This goes for any other chapter that I write from here forward.)_

Sloane had lost his best ally. He had no one to blame but himself. He had taken for granted that Ana was always there and she had helped him in his evil endeavors. Now he didn't know what side she was going to be on and that scared him almost as much as going up against Sydney. He had no control over her whatsoever. So now...he had Sydney, his daughter, Jack, Irina, Sam, Ana, and all of the American government against him. He was not such a strong force without all of his former allies. The only upside that came out of this was he had one person on his side who was dangerous to his now enemies. His name was Julias Sark. Sam's father, Irina's ex-lover, and a long standing rival to everyone who was friends with Sydney. Sark had hurt so many people and that was what he was good at.

Meanwhile, Ana had packed her things, stolen a ride, weapons, and money to get by. She was leaving this hole. She wasn't respected and she wasn't going to work for some psychopath who didn't give her the respect she deserved. She would pay him back for this. She knew that Sloane had many resources and allies but she also knew that she was his most powerful asset. His next powerful would be Sark...and now with Irina out of the picture he really didn't have much. Ana got out of the forest and found a road. She knew exactly where to go to get back at Sloane.

Sydney led her two sisters through the forest. They had been hiking for a few hours. Finally they caught sight of a road. "Ah...thank goodness. I thought that I was getting us lost." She laughed relieved and Sam smiled lightly. She still wasn't sure of how to act around her sisters. She didn't know them very well and couldn't really think of them as family if she didn't know them. It was very reasonable, but she didn't know why these two women treated her as if she was some innocent girl who had never been involved with any type of violence. She would just have to try to open up a little.

Nadia decided that she would give her big sister a break and lead for a while. "Maybe we could call for an extraction...that wouldn't be too hard."

"Nadia...we would have to give them coordinates. We don't know the coordinates." Sydney wanted to be positive, but they really couldn't give them exactly where they were.

"I know the coordinates. I heard Sloane talking to Ana about it." Sam spoke out of nowhere and it made both of the sisters jump in surprise. Sydney got out a pen and readied herself to write it on her hand. Expecting looks from her sisters made Sam continue and she gave her the coordinates.

"Wow. Thanks Sam. That was awesome. Where did you here that?" Nadia was curious.

"Well I was in the concrete cell and both Sloane and Ana were walking by. It was kind of a miracle that I heard it though." Sam was proud of herself. She had never been thanked for giving information...it was just expected of her.

"Wait. If we call for an extraction...we will have to explain all of this." Sydney said, pointing to their guns and the kid with them. They all were silent for a while...they were thinking of different stories they could tell the people making the extraction.

"Do we really have to? I mean, we could just tell them that it was a confidential mission that someone in a higher power ordered us on. If they ask who the someone is...we'll tell them that... we can't tell them." It seemed like a flawless plan. Sam came up with some pretty good plans.

Sydney decided to go with Sam's plan and called for an immediate extraction. They would wait for a couple of hours in one place until the helicopter came to get them.

"So...what is it like living with Mom?" Nadia asked quietly, while fidgeting in her stance. Sam glanced over at Nadia and then at Sydney, who was paying full attention with a look of focus on her face.

"I don't know what to tell you. It was tough at times. She would be gone so much and for long periods of time. She would make me stay with colleagues or even worse...Sark." Sam made a disgusted face and continued. "She was pretty hard on me when it came to training me in combat and when she taught me to shoot. Then she would make me study on history and stuff. Math was a big thing for her...I hated it and she wouldn't let up on it. I didn't have much encounters with normal people." She said the word: normal, with a longing hint in her voice.

"Where did you live?" Syd asked.

"Oh...in a lot of different places. It was always fun to see all of the different countries we would go to. I have my favorite places. They were mostly the places where we stayed for the longest period of time or the places that we visited most frequently. My favorite was in Venice, Italy." She smiled as she remembered the beautiful place.

"Wow...that's really cool." Nadia said as she stared into space.

"Did you ever come to L.A.?" Syd asked curiously.

"...Yeah...We went there an awful lot. That was one of my least favorite..." A dark look crossed her face. "Whenever we went there...Mom was gone more often and I never got to see her. That was usually when either Ana, Sark, or Allison took over. They were always the hardest to obey. I was always mad that Mom wasn't there and they didn't make it any easier. I didn't like Allison at all. She was ...non-human. It was like all of her emotions were drained out of her when they did that helix thing on her..." Sydney did a double take and drew her brows together.

"What? Did you say helix?" Sydney was anxious.

"Yeah. She was totally different. Looked like a totally different person." There was a silence. Nadia was looking between her two sisters. She knew the story of Francie, but she didn't know what was weird about Sam knowing her.

Suddenly, they heard a crack behind them. They all got up and were on their guard. They had their guns out at the ready and were covering all directions. Then they heard a voice coming from the distance.

"I am unarmed...Let me come out and I'll tell you my proposition." Sydney's eyes closed as she realized who they were dealing with. Sam's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. Nadia knew who it was and held her gun tighter.

Without even a warning, the woman stepped out from the cover of the dense woods to show herself...

_Thnx for the reviews! Keep them coming. The reviews help the updating... R&R! --soccergirlmich--_


	13. Chapter 13

Fighting the Darkness Within

Fighting the Darkness Within

Ana walked out with her hands up, her eyes wide with concentration, and a look of determined surrender on her face. It looked painful for her to be doing what she was doing. Giving in or surrendering were not in her vocabulary, or so Sydney thought. So many things had been going wrong or the total opposite of what she had originally thought. If you would have told her a year ago that Ana Espinosa would be surrendering to her with her hands in the air, unarmed, she would say that you were delusional. Nonetheless, here she was; her worst enemy. Sydney didn't trust this situation at all and was thinking of ways she could be deceived. She looked over to Nadia to read her facial expression. Nadia's face was in complete repulsion and she held her finger dangerously tight on the trigger of her bulky gun. The corner of Syd's mouth lifted as pride filled her. She had taught her well. Her attention panned to her littlest sister's face. There was confusion, along with abhorrence, and most of all there was distress and hurt. There was so much that this teenager had to deal with. It was a wonder that she hadn't gone absolutely insane.

Sydney wondered what she had been through when she was with their mother. She couldn't believe all that was happening. "What could you possibly want?" Sydney asked with menace and detestation dripping from her voice. Ana's face was unforgiving but also not at all hostile. Her eyes did not mock as they usually did. The bright red lipstick that typically covered her full lips did not show as Ana came closer. Her face was covered in dirt and with scrapes. She had been running from Sloane's camp.

"I need you as much as you need me...It's a mutual agreement at the best." Ana looked down to the right and back up at Sydney's face.

"What the heck are you talking about? _What_ mutual agreement?" She said sharply, anger was rising in her chest. Ana winced at the harshness of her voice. Sam was studying Ana's responses and was shocked to see her recoil.

"My plan is to get together and work as one. A team, if you will. We can get back at Sloane. You don't have any idea what he is planning. I know exactly what he is setting up; he consulted me on every move he made. With my information and our skills, we can use your numbers to defeat him. This is his weakness now. He is left with only a few allies. Sark is the only person that we need to be even remotely worried about. We need to gather anyone we can...Derevko...Jack, Vaughn... Any others you think we could benefit from." When she was finished, her eyes were crazed and she looked hopefully at Sydney.

Sydney looked down at the ground and her mouth involuntarily dropped open. This could not be happening. She would not be teaming up with her arch-enemy. The thing that was eating at Sydney was that Ana actually had a point. They could defeat him together. She had all of the information needed and they had the tactical resources. She had waited for a chance to once and for all kill this guy and here was her chance. She looked up to see the looks on her sisters' faces.

Nadia was thinking really hard and when she felt Syd's gaze, she looked up with a confused and indecisive stare in her eyes. Sam, however; looked very unwavering. She knew exactly what she wanted to do. It was her little sister's decision that make up her mind fully in the end. She was going to take Ana's offer. First, she would make sure they weren't being double-crossed.

"How do we know that you won't betray us?" This time it was Nadia who spoke up. Her voice was strong and firm-to-the-point.

"Well..." She paused. "You can't know now can you?" A smile played on her lips, but this time it wasn't a threatening smile. It seemed that she was using the only thing she had. She knew that the three sisters would want to get rid of Sloane and she knew that they needed her if they wanted the information that only she could provide.

This left them with a feeling that was quite unsettling. Then Sam spoke up. "What about the extraction?" This brought all of them back to reality.

"We can tell them that instead of an extraction, we are being sent on another recon mission and we need certain agents to complete this 'top secret mission'." Nadia was the one who came up with a quick, but smart, plan. Sydney nodded with her gun still pointed at Ana as if it were connected to the middle of her forehead. Sam sighed deeply and sat down; her gun still traced on Ana. They weren't going to let her off that easy.

"Here, this would be a lot easier." The two older siblings looked at each other and shrugged. They watched as their little sister took her gun and advanced toward Ana. Without any warning, Sam smashed the butt of the gun on the back of Ana's head. She motioned for hand cuffs and caught them with one hand. She methodically chained her up to a sturdy tree. Syd and Nadia were completely shocked and couldn't keep their jaws from dropping.

"Well...so we can call the extraction team with a little less tension." Sam paused and they all laughed loudly together.

_Thanks for reading. Reviews really make me work a lot faster. Please give me feedback on this chapter. :) –soccergirlmich--_


	14. Chapter 14

Fighting the Darkness Within

Nadia called the extraction team and changed the plans. They would go pick up Jack, Vaughn, Weiss, and Dixon. Ana was still out of it and handcuffed while the three sisters sat and talked about what they were getting themselves into. Sam was still pretty quiet and intent on listening and getting to know her two sisters. She couldn't help but think that she could be happy living around people who actually cared about her. The only thing she was afraid about was the thing that Ana suggested. Ana wanted them to bring Irina in on this. She wasn't ready to see her mother. Sam turned to Sydney and sighed. She knew that if she asked both of her sisters to not let their mother in on this, they would trust her judgment. Nadia and Sydney were both relaxed and they were patiently waiting on the helicopter that was going to bring the team. Sam wanted to go over to them and tell them what was bothering her.

"Hey..." Sam didn't know how to start up a conversation with these two people who were her family. Sydney and Nadia smiled at her.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Sydney seemed to read her mind.

"I don't really want Irina in on this mission. I know she would be really helpful...I just don't want to see her. I don't want to be stuck with her again. When she comes back and once we beat Sloane she is going to take me with her. I don't want to live with her anymore." She waited for a response and was surprised when Sydney spoke.

"You don't have to live with Derevko. You can live with us. I don't think I want you to go with her anyway." Sydney smiled warmly and Nadia nodded. Both her sisters wanted Sam to live with them. She would actually have a loving family. She would be a normal person.

"Really? Are you sure? I don't want to intrude or be a burden." Sam was still skeptical.

"Yes. We are very sure. You need to live with normal people...well more normal than Irina anyway." Sydney smiled and glanced to Nadia's grinning face.

"Thank you. If she can really help us then we will use her. Only as a last resort. But if we have to, then we will make sure she doesn't get to you." Nadia spoke this time with a very dangerous tone in her voice. The sisters sat in silence, waiting for the team and smiled. They were enjoying the company of real family. Love was a new thing for Sam to feel and she could really get used to this. An odd thrill entered her system and she smiled, her eyes brightening as she thought of the future. This was going to be fun.

_Please R&R! Sorry for putting the story on hold...but I was stuck. :D –soccergirlmich--_


	15. Chapter 15

Fighting the Darkness Within

Sam sat in between her two big sisters and glanced at Ana, who had just woken up. Ana rolled her eyes dramatically and glared at Sam. Sam smiled and chuckled quietly. Syd and Nadia raised their heads and smirked at Ana and patted Sam on the back.

"I am sure you didn't need to do that, Sam. I would have done whatever made you feel more comfortable. But thanks anyway for the headache." Ana's voice was not hostile, but instead just annoyed.

"I owe you more than that, Ana." Sam's tone was slightly amused and apathetic. The air around her was not tense as usual, it was relaxed and fun. Sydney was awed by Sam's nerve and she was happy that Ana had another person who was a good match against her. Nadia was surprisingly having a great time. Sam got up and started pacing.

"What exactly is our plan? Do we have one?" Sam wanted to think ahead so that when the team arrived, they would have something to tell them.

"I don't think we do have one. We need to get everyone together and come up with a good one." Nadia spoke up and pulled her knees to her chest for warmth. Sydney looked toward Sam with an apologetic smile.

"We need to call Irina..." Sydney's voice was not excited; it was the exact opposite, full of dread. Sam nodded and sighed, ready for the call. Nadia picked up the phone and dialed the number, waiting for her mother to pick up. When she picked up, Nadia took a deep breath.

"Mom. We...uh need your help. You need to get over here. We are putting together a team to infiltrate Rethon47. We have some people on the way and some already here, but we need you too. So, if you could hurry, that would be great." Nadia finished and waited for an answer.

"Nadia, I am almost there."

"Wait, why?" Nadia's brows drew together and she swallowed, waiting for the worst.

"I had to come get Sam." Irina spoke this like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Nadia was shaking her head even before Irina finished.

"What? No. If that's why you're coming, then you should go back to where you came from. You're not taking Sam." Nadia's usually soft voice grew dark and menacing. She was daring her mother to come and just try to take her new little sister.

"Nadia, she is my..." Irina stopped.

"What? Your daughter? Yeah that's nice. Goodbye Derevko." Nadia hung up the phone and gritted her teeth. "I don't think we need her help anymore." Nadia looked over to her big sister and saw Sydney smile. Sydney was proud of Nadia for standing up to their mother. Syd nodded and patted her shoulder.

"You know she's going to come anyway, right?" Sam spoke this time.

"Yes, she isn't just going to let you two take the daughter she raised herself." Ana interjected and everyone turned to her. Sydney paced and shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. Once everyone gets here, we will have a perimeter while we figure out what we're doing. She will not get to you, Sam." There was a fierceness that entered the air around them and everyone was silent.

"Is that so, Sydney?" Irina's voice boomed into the clearing. Sydney rolled her eyes and turned around to see her mother's livid figure staring at her. Sam was moved in between Sydney and Nadia for protection.

"Why are you here?" Sydney was just stalling.

"You know very well why I am here. I want Sam back." Irina smiled slightly.

"You gave up that right when you got her kidnapped. You couldn't get her back and so you lost that privilege. She is staying with us. She is going to be staying with people who actually care about her." Sydney was on a roll. At this, Irina flinched as if she had been slapped.

"She is my daughter." As soon as she said this, she regretted it.

"Oh yeah? Well your three daughters don't want anything to do with you. You should just leave." Nadia's voice was full of hurt.

"You really should leave. You're outnumbered." Vaughn's voice stopped everyone cold. The team had finally arrived.

_Please R&R!!!!!!!!! --soccergirlmich--_


	16. Chapter 16

Fighting the Darkness Within

Sydney looked behind her and smiled widely. As she turned back to look to Irina, she saw an expression on her face that was full of defeat and annoyance. She could feel the team coming in from all directions and she realized that they already created a perimeter. Sydney looked to Nadia and nodded encouragingly.

Sam drew closer to her two big sisters and felt safe for the first time in her life. This was what family felt like; not some kind of training boot camp. It was where she could find comfort and be herself. There was something tugging at her heart as she looked to the only family she had ever known before today. It was sad. This was her mother…this was the person who raised her. She loved her…but she knew that this was her rightful place: with people who would protect her no matter what. Sam stood straighter as she realized that she had reached her decision.

"Mom…if the only reason you came was to take me away, then you can just go back. I'm staying with Syd and Nadia." Sam's voice was reasonable.

"You're coming with me." There was hurt radiating from Irina's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'm not. Now, if you'll let me go…We have work to do." Irina gritted her teeth and walked away, knowing that, for now, she was outnumbered and wouldn't get anywhere with her three daughters.

_I wasn't aware that anyone ever read this story anymore. :D If you want me to continue…REVIEW! :D Then I'll continue and put more up. I haven't written on this story in like 2 years. :D R&R _

–_soccergirlmich--_


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